Delhi High Court Dismisses Turkey-Based Celebi’s Plea Against Revocation Of Security Clearance On Ground Of ‘National Security’

The Delhi Excessive Courtroom on Monday (July 7) dismissed a plea by Turkey based mostly firm Celebi Airport Providers Personal Restricted difficult the choice of Bureau of Civil Aviation Safety (BCAS) revoking its safety clearance within the “curiosity of nationwide safety”.

Justice Sachin Datta handed the order.

An in depth copy of the order is awaited.

The court docket had reserved its verdict on Could 23 after listening to all events.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi showing for Celebi had argued that there was a violation of pure justice is the case as the corporate was not given a discover and was not even knowledgeable concerning the proposed motion which the federal government was to take.

He mentioned that there was an entire violation of Rule 12 of the Aircrafts Safety Guidelines, 2023, which renders the choice of the federal government nullity and void. It’s not voidable. It’s nullity and is void, he mentioned.

Rule 12 empowers the Director Common to droop the safety clearance, after giving the entity a possibility of being heard, and for causes to be recorded in writing, for a interval not exceeding one yr or cancel the identical the place there are cheap grounds to consider, within the pursuits of nationwide safety or civil aviation safety or if the entity has contravened or did not adjust to any situation of safety clearance or safety programme or provision of those guidelines.

Rohatgi strongly opposed the apply of the federal government of sharing the inputs and causes for revoking safety clearance in a sealed cowl. In the meantime Solicitor Common of India Tushar Mehta had argued that the motion of revoking safety clearance of the Turkey based mostly firm was not a “carte blache” and judicial assessment is all the time out there to the affected get together.

He had mentioned that in unprecedented state of affairs when the nation faces a safety menace, it’s not possible for the federal government to provide a possibility of listening to or causes for revoking the safety clearance.

The Indian authorities revoked the safety clearance of Celebi and its related firms on grounds associated to nationwide safety.

Celebi’s plea states that mere rhetoric of nationwide safety with out elaborating upon in what method is an entity a menace to nationwide safety is unsustainable in legislation.

“The order “fails to reveal any particular or substantive purpose apart from a obscure and normal reference to ‘nationwide safety’… (it) offers no causes or justification,” the plea learn.

It additional added In that whereas Celebi’s shareholders had been registered in Turkey, majority finish management of the group is held by firms that don’t have Turkish incorporation or origin.

Case title: CELEBI AIRPORT SERVICES INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED v/s UNION OF INDIA & ORS.

W.P.(C) 6758/2025 and CM APPL.30662/2025